Cherry Hinton drug dealer who lived lavish lifestyle with Rolex watch and Mercedes car is stripped of £72,000 of assets

A drug dealer who funded a lavish lifestyle of designer clothes and exotic holidays has been stripped of £72,000 of his ill-gotten gains.

James Wilks, 40, formerly of High Street, Cherry Hinton, was sentenced to eight years in prison in November 2021 after a Cambridgeshire Constabulary investigation showed he was making vast sums from selling cocaine and cannabis, and was laundering money.

The probe showed how Wilks was a significant player in a criminal network selling drugs across Cambridgeshire. Text messages were deciphered showing one deal involved more than 5kg of cocaine and up to 1kg of cannabis.

Police who raided his former home in Whittington Road, Cambridge, in January 2018 found £18,500 stashed in his sock drawer, along with £50,000 worth of designer clothes and jewellery.

As he claimed to be a roofer earning £180 a week, police questioned where all his money came from, and further warrants were executed and property seized, including cash and a Mercedes GL63.

Financial investigators from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit’s (ERSOU) criminal finance team began inquiries into Wilks that uncovered how he had made more than £313,000 through drug dealing - and had used the money to buy a Rolex Sky Dweller watch, designer clothes, several cars and multiple holidays abroad.

Following his sentencing for the possession and supply of Class A and B drugs, Wilks was ordered to repay his criminal proceeds or face an additional spell behind bars.

Huntingdon Crown Court heard on Wednesday (January 18) that Wilks was able to repay £72,152.96, made up of cash seized during his arrests and through the auctioning of his seized possessions.

Det Insp Ian Clements, from ERSOU’s criminal finance team, said: “Wherever possible we will use Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) legislation to strip criminals of their illicit earnings and ensure crime doesn’t pay.

“Wilks was found to be a key player in a criminal network which generated significant sums of money selling illegal drugs. Despite supposedly making a modest living, he was using criminal money to fund a lavish lifestyle which included expensive watches and clothes, along with luxurious cars and exotic holidays.

“This should send a clear message to anyone involved in drug trafficking; we will find you, identify your assets, put you before the courts, and ensure you repay the money you have earned through the misery of others.”

Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Det Sgt Neil Hewson, who investigated the case, said: “Wilks was heavily involved in the Cambridgeshire drugs supply network which facilitated his extravagant lifestyle. Thanks to our commitment in pursuing those who are involved in organised drug trafficking, Wilks has landed himself a hefty prison sentence and now must pay back his ill-gotten gains."